BS Yeddyurappa gets anticipatory bail

The Karnataka High Court on Thursday granted anticipatory bail to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader BS Yeddyurappa in connection to an illegal mining case.

The court also granted anticipatory bail to Yeddyurappa's sons BY Raghavendra and BY Vijayendra and son-in-law RN Sohan Kumar.

The court on Wednesday reserved its order till Thursday on the former Karnataka Chief Minister´s anticipatory bail plea.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)´s counsel Ashok Bhan had earlier opposed the anticipatory bail and argued that there was a prima facie case against Yeddyurappa and others in connection to the case and it needed their custodial interrogation.

The CBI on May raided the Bangalore residence of former Yeddyurappa as part of a probe into the alleged illegal mining case.

The probe agency also searched the residences of his sons and son-in-law.

The powerful south-Indian leader on July 31 last year was forced to resign as the Chief Minister of Karnataka after he was indicted by the then Karnataka Lokayukta N antosh Hedge in the illegal mining report.

Yeddyurappa and his family members were named by Hegde in what was called a Rs 16,000 crore illegal mining scam.

He also faced an arrest, but getting bail in both land cases, Yeddyurappa walked out of jail on Nov 8.